STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

My God, the steps of pious men Third Part The way and end of the righteous and the wicked

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 37:23–37, printed in 1719 in The Psalms of David Imitated, where he set the psalms "in the language of the New Testament".

WRITTEN BY

Isaac Watts 1674–1748

PRINTED

1719 The Psalms of David Imitated · no. 3

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 7 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 37:23–37 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 7 stanzas as Watts printed them, with the verses their lines echo beside them. Point at a line to join it to its verse; click to read the passage.

SHARED WORDSthe verse shares the line's wording ECHOproposed by an AI model, confirmed by a separate check Not the author's own notes

AMONG THE SCRIPTURES

The stanzas at the centre; around them, every book its heading and its echoes come from, Old Testament on the left and New on the right. Choose a stanza or a book.

a line echoes this verse its heading or an echo comes from here

STANZA I

My God, the steps of pious men

Are order'd by thy will;

Tho' they should fall, they rise again,

Thy hand supports them still.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 37:23–37, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

23The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. 24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand. 25I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread. 26They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing. 27Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever. 28For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. 29The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter. 32Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, 33the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment. 34Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, 36yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. 37Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. PSALM 37:23–37 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 37

My God, the steps of pious men Are order'd by thy will; Tho' they should fall, they rise again, Thy hand supports them still. STANZA I

Its place in the book

Watts's psalms run from Psalm 1 to Psalm 150, several settings to many psalms: 367 hymns. This is number 3. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 3 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN My God, the steps of pious men

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